Of the various enteric pathogenic viruses causing severe diarrhea in children, rotavirus is the most common causing an average of 611,000 deaths per year. Virtually all children are infected by rotavirus by age 5. The virus is believed to be highly contagious and has been described as a “democratic” virus since the infection affects no particular socioeconomic or geographic group disproportionately. While the majority of children having access to adequate supportive and palliative medical care survive infection with no significant long-term consequences, the number of deaths associated with severe diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and shock is unacceptable and requires preventative intervention if possible.
Vaccination against rotavirus-mediated disease is one strategy for addressing this significant health problem. Currently, although live, oral vaccines have been developed and licensed, continuing safety and efficacy concerns justify an alternative approach to parenteral vaccination with an inactivated rotavirus vaccine. There is a dearth of effective methods for inactivating rotavirus and vaccine compositions including inactivated rotavirus. A particular difficulty is treatment of live rotavirus to inactivate the virus while maintaining antigenicity associated with substantially intact double-layer and triple-layer rotavirus particles.
There is a continuing need for methods of inactivating rotavirus and compositions including inactivated rotavirus.